Whenever we're looking for wildlife we are always seeing the same three things: the odd color, the odd shape, or movement. And movement is the easiest thing to see that can clue us in to the possiblity of something alive on the landscape.

Many people think of animals as cryptically colored or camouflaged, and some are, but the truth is: under certain circumstances, seasons, or during certain activities, all animals can be extremely visible. I don't look for the raccoon that is inside the hollow log (I can't see it!), I look for the raccoon that is actually out in the open along the shoreline. I don't look for the cat which is sleeping on a high branch. I look for the cat that is actually walking across the road or on the top of the visible cliff. Focus attention where we can see and in particular, see clearly!

Whenever I am driving, hiking, paddling, or biking...as I come into new landscapes I quickly scan the easy surfaces. For example the open field. I look for the odd color, shape, or movement. This can be done in a fraction of a second!

The next thing I do is quickly scan the next big open areas in the vista. This may be the tree tops profiled against the sky, or the smooth grassland of a river terrace. It may be the sky itself, after all, dramatic birds of prey may be present.

Finally, I scan the breaks in the landscape. This may be a shoreline, or perhaps where a forest meets a grassland. Be sure to look under the trees as far as you can clearly see. This is where animals are actually most likely to be, but where they will be most difficult to spot.

It's where two habitat types meet, what some people call "edge effect' or "ecotone," that the greatest diversity of animals may occur.

Think of it this way: the forest is habitat type "A" and the adjacent grassland is habitat type "B." Habitat A may have tree squirrels and habitat type B may have bison. But where they meet you may have both! In fact, you may get species that require both habitat types. For example, an elk may use the forest for security or thermal "cover" and the grassland for grazing.

Note that I have not mentioned any required equipment. Of course optics can help. Listening for animal vocalizations can help too. But the first step is to simply look. You can't see if you don't look!

One more note: Believe in yourself. Have confidence. Again, an example. I take two identical twin boys fishing. One is confident and the other is not. Same gear, same stream, same instructor. We know who has the better chance of catching a fish!

I've often heard people say that spotting wildlife is an art. I disagree. I believe it is a skill, but the more we experience wildlife, and the more we understand the lives of animals, the more we can relate to their occurance and presence. And this too, helps us see.

Everybody wants to see bears (black and grizzly bears)! As a guide I certainly wish to facilitate the experience! But bears are not equally visible all year-round. Obviously Winter is the most difficult season to see bears, as they may be in winter dens hibernating.

Spring is undoubtedly the best season to see bears. At that time they are frequently foraging in open areas, feeding on emerging vegetation. Alternatively they may be hunting new born herbivores (elk, bison, deer, and pronghorn give birth at this time and bears seek, and search for, these calves and fawns).

In Summer all herbivores are spreading out over larger landscapes to maximize their opportunity to find the most nutritious vegetation. Considering that bears are true omnivores, they too may spread out to find the most nutritious plant materials.

By late Summer and early Fall, berries may become a major food source. Huckleberries, buffaloberry, chokecherry, service berry, wild currants, and snowberry are all good examples. Later in Summer, whitebark pine nuts (similar to the pine nuts we see in salads) may become a popular food source. During these periods, bears are feeding in shrub and forested areas.

The fact that they are in a closed canopy plant community (inside the forests) they can be very diffcult to simply see. To spot a bear at a safe distance and to be able to observe natural behaviour takes some luck. However, we can increase our odds! We often drive or hike to overlooks which can view forest margins. By spending some time scanning the edges of the forests we can get "lucky" and observe some incredible bear behaviour!

It is very impressive how dexterous a bear can be! Using lips, teeth, tongue and paws, they can pluck individual berries from branches or strip them from branches in bunches. When feeding on whitebark pine nuts, black bears often climb to the topmost branches of the whitebark pine trees to get at the cones (which are situated on the outermost tips of the branches)! The contortions they go through are amazing! Bending treetops, flexing branches, extended reaches of clawed paws, legs wrapped around spindly trunks; they pluck cones and either drop them to the ground or eat in the tree. The contortions and dexterity are super fun to watch! Sometimes they chew, or break, the branch off and drop it to the ground.

This type of behaviour is not always visible on and annual basis. First: there must be whitebark cones. Cones (and berries) are not abundant every year and it does not help that many whitebark pine trees are now dead. [This is a separate subject, but understand that whitebark pine trees are in trouble due to a variety of factors. This is a major loss of food for all bears.] Second: you have to be looking in the right place at the right time and have a bear foraging for this food. However, when it works, it can be one of the greatest wildlife sightings of a person's life!

One final consideration: carcasses. If wolves make a kill, bears will smell these carcasses and travel long distances to find them. Likewise, the bison rut often results in mortal injuries to some of the male combatants. When these guys die they will also attract bears. Carcasses may take patience as well, but they can be great sites to observe bears. Just make sure you have good optics! You don't want to be too close!

One of the most common questions we're asked here at Yellowstone Safari is "When is the best time of year to come to Yellowstone?" The truth is, whenever you can!

Each season is different. The geysers and hotsprings and the beautiful canyon and waterfalls are geophysical features which are ever-present. And the wildlife experiences are always amazing and possible. But wildlife events, and even seasonal possibilities, vary throughout the year. For example, you are not likely to experience bears in January, so if bears are high on your prioroity list, you don't want to come at that time!

Many factors influence when any of us have time to spend a holiday or vacation in Yellowstone. So, needless to say, consider when you have the time. Ideally 5 days for Yellowstone will allow you to have time for a hike, sitting and watching a sunset, and driving the road system to see commonly visited features. If you don't have that much time allow for at least 3 days on location. It will take 3 days to drive the roads and see the common, well known, features. Otherwise, a person can easily spend a full week here to bask in the natural landscape and really explore.

I think of Spring as the best time for both bears and wolves. Regardless of the bear species, viewing a bear in the wild is the top desire of visitors to Yellowstone. Wolves are number two on the wildlife popularity list. You can see wolves year around, and we are often successful at this, with winter being the best season for observing wolves, but spring is the second best, and you can see bears at the same time. In Spring, wolf pack activity will be focused on a den site and this does make the pack movements somewhat predictable, which helps in observation. Migrating birds, denning of all canids, nesting of birds of prey, bison having their calves, migrating herds, black bear cubs, and spring wildflowers are all part of the season.

Summer is when most people come to the Park. Of course the weather is most accommodating at that time and, in general, most people are best able to take a holiday at that time. Summer also means crowds and traffic in certain areas. But we still see the same wildlife, just at a lesser density. During the summer, animals become broadly distributed on the landscape, which means they may not be near roads in the numbers they often are at other seasons. However, we continue to experience all the great wildlife of Yellowstone! Summer wildflowers, green valleys, herds of bison: cows, calves, and courting bulls, velvet antlered elk and deer, bighorn sheep lambs cavorting among the boulders and cliffs, it's Yellowstone!

Fall is the season of the "rut." It is also the season of color. Finally, there will be fewer people after the first week of September. Keep in mind it is common to have blustery weather and even snow after the first week in September. But the changing leaves of aspen, cottonwood, willow and the many herbaceous plants will add color and definition to the landscape. Now add large male elk, sheep , moose, pronghorn, and deer courting the females and you may have exciting wildlife events unfold before you! Generally late September and early October can be crisp and cool, with no insects, fewer other visitors, and excellent photo opportunities.

I think of Winter as big animals on big landscapes. Of course the weather can be cold and snowy. It is the best time to observe wolves as they often are easily visible on the snow covered grasslands and hills. Large herds of bighorn sheep, bison, elk and mule deer will congregate on Yellowstone's "Northern Range" and be easily, and often closely, seen. Many fewer people visit in winter, but keep in mind it is more difficult to "get around" as roads may be closed and transportaion to various locations takes planning and distinctly more time.

As a quick summary, consider when you have the time, and what you would particularly like to experience. Then consult some reading materials and give us a call. We can guide you in the field, or help guide you in your planning!

What could be a more common topic of discussion other than the weather? Throughout the Greater Yellowstone it's been a warm winter. What started out as a great snowpack has been melting and flowing into the streams and rivers. It's tough to complain when the sun is shining and the air is warm, but with a declining snowpack we may lack streamflows later in the summer. In recent years "runoff" has been occurring early. So I begin to wonder, what else happens earlier? Will the elk lose their antlers earlier or will migratory birds return sooner? It's important to keep in mind that different things inlfuence these "springtime" events.

Snowshoeing has got to be the simplest and least controversial mode of transportation in Yellowstone. Of course, “slow shoes” as one friend of mine refers to them, are generally not embraced by adrenaline junkies, but if you like getting away from the “madding crowd,” snowshoes are a great way to go. If you can walk, you can snowshoe. It’s also less expensive to get geared up, and you don’t need a roof rack or trailer to transport them.

Outside the Park, local outdoor retailers in Livingston, West Yellowstone, Big Sky, and Bozeman have gear for rent. Inside the Park, Xanterra operates ski huts at Mammoth and Old Faithful that also rent snowshoes. On the west side, near West Yellowstone, there are great routes to the Madison River that take you to some remote landscapes, just outside town.

For big landscapes with big wildlife, enter Yellowstone from Gardiner and use the road from Mammoth to Cooke City. Being at a lower elevation than most of the Park, the snow may not be too good, but there are pockets of deep snow. The claw underneath most contemporary snowshoes can be helpful in icy conditions and the oversized shoe lends stability in areas pocked with ungulate postholes and feeding craters. Much of the rugged terrain in this area favors snowshoes for exploring.

The only logical way to access Old Faithful is via snowcoach or snowmobile from Mammoth or West Yellowstone. When you finally get there, you have access to the biggest geothermal area on the planet. But it’s not a landscape without some comforts. You can spend a night at Old Faithful Snow Lodge and enjoy a hot meal. The real treat is the snowshoeing along the Old Faithful trail system, or simply going to some backcountry thermal areas. Just be very careful if you go hot potting.

For those who desire more adventure, there are literally millions of acres of backcountry where no services are available, and I like it that way. Rely on yourself and forget the rest. Blaze your own trail. The northwest corner of Yellowstone, along Highway 191, provides a great jumping-off point to miles of good snow. If you do some research, you’ll find your own secret spots where you can quietly observe wildlife, hot springs, canyons, and serious winter.